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Mark Hamill Was Initially Taken Aback By Luke’s Role In Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The Luke Skywalker of 2017 is a far cry from the Tatooine farm-boy-turned-Jedi-Master who helped topple the Galactic Empire all those years ago.

Back when the Rebel Alliance was at its peak, Luke was an exuberant freedom fighter, which only makes his self-imposed exile all the more fascinating – and foreboding, we might add. But you’re not the only one to feel surprised by this character development; speaking to The New York Times, Star Wars veteran Mark Hamill recalled the moment when he initially met with Rian Johnson to discuss The Last Jedi and, more specifically, Luke’s role in it.

And after 40 years of Luke Skywalker, Hamill conceded that there have been times when he’s felt overly possessive of his on-screen character, which can lead to some creative differences behind-the-scenes. Mind you, it’s not often that two or more creative visions would align without a difference of opinion, and that’s something that Mark Hamill addressed with the NYT:

That’s the hard part. You don’t want to admit how possessive you’ve become. There are times where you go, ‘Really? That’s what they think of Luke? I’m not only in disagreement – I’m insulted.’ But that’s the process and you thrash it all out.

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But if Luke Skywalker was essentially reduced to a silent cameo in The Force Awakens, Rian Johnson has assured fans that he’ll enjoy a much more prominent role in The Last Jedi and beyond, particularly after the Powers That Be were forced to tweak Leia’s arc following the tragic, untimely death of Carrie Fisher.

I told him, everyone is going to be leaning forward for your first words in this. Obviously, Mark came into this one with higher expectations for what we do with the character.

Exactly what Johnson has planned for Luke Skywalker is up for question, but the recent trailers and tantalizing TV spots for Star Wars: The Last Jedi have certainly left us with food for thought. Enough to last right up until the film’s release on December 15th, anyway.